The backpacker disappearances along the Hume Highway (Part 1/5) | Forensic Files

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calm [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website the hume freeway is one of the busiest
interstate routes in australia linking the country's two most populous cities Sydney and to Melbourne
stretching for 840 kilometers the Hume is part of the oz link national network providing a vital connection for freight
and transit between the two major East Coast cities in 2013 the creation of the Holbrook bypass marked the completion of
an extensive overhaul of the roadway with Sydney and Melbourne now linked by a continuous dual lane freeway
unrestricted by the traffic lights and speed restrictions of passing townships but it wasn't always this way prior to
the upgrade the Hume Freeway was the Hume Highway those navigating the old Hume had to drive through a vast a
number of urban and rural townships traffic lights and intersections despite the bypass upgrades that
occurred throughout the years one aspect of the humain to the same it is the only
road providing access to the Belanger Lowe State Forest located 130 kilometres southwest of Sydney in the southern
highlands region of New South Wales palanga low state forest stretches 440 square kilometres and comprises 700
hectares of commercial pine plantations bordered by several thousand hectares of
native bush land entrance is gained only by driving or walking through the seemingly endless
rows of dense pine trees the forest is home to a plethora of native flora and fauna including koalas wombats kangaroos
and many species of birds providing a popular recreation spot for campers trail bike riders bush walkers
picnickers and photographers many parts of the seemingly endless rugged terrain are so remote they can only be accessed
by a four-wheel drive or on foot entrance to Berlin Gallo is gained via the hume 16 kilometres south of the
southern highlands town of Beryl where a sealed Road quickly gives way to rocky dirt roads steep hills and creek
crossings impossible to navigate without an off-road vehicle fire trails and a complex network of tracks and paths
crisscross throughout the forest which is so large and isolated that it's rare to encounter another person whilst
visiting there are no signs or obvious landmarks to signify one's the location within making it a very easy place to
get disoriented and lost the forest is thought to have been named by an early 1800s settler who was so enchanted by
the untamed beauty of the area that he christened that Berlanga low meaning good angel despite its splendor and
distinctively Australian landscape which continues to attract to nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts from all over
the world those who venture to the secluded forest note the vast space is enveloped by an eerie silence
as visitors turned to the forest entrance a large ominous sign surrounded by a wall of towering trees warns
welcome to Berlin Gallo State Forest please be careful [Music] in the 1990s over 200,000 young
travelers ventured to Australia each year attracted by the Sun surf and rugged natural beauty of the countries
are varied to landscape travellers were promised the exotic and exciting adventures the backpacking lifestyle
offered a young people the opportunity to develop their independence gain new experiences and interact with a wide
range of new people from all over most backpackers who arrived to Australia were aged in their early to mid 20s and
either taking time off between studying or securing their first professional jobs all wanting to figure out their
next step in life the majority travelled alone or with one other person stayed in
the country for an average visit of six months and either lived frugally off their hard-earned savings or funded
their trip as they went with fruit picking jobs Bar chefs nannying or casual farm work 40% of backpackers came
from the UK and another 30% ventured over from continental Europe backpacking accounted for a major part of the
country's tourism industry contributing approximately 1.5 billion dollars to the
Australian economy annually in the days before the internet backpackers relied on word-of-mouth to plan their trips
knowledge was passed from one traveler to the next the best destinations to visit the areas to avoid and to the
cheapest ways to get from place to place notice boards on display at hostels provided an invaluable resource to
tourists seeking travel companions or looking to share the cost of transit with many backpackers partnering up to
cut costs and make new friends trains into buses were a common form of transport that many budget travelers
also purchased the cheaper used cars so they could cover more ground at their own pace although what was often frowned
upon hitchhiking provided another popular method of transit hitching provided a cheap convenient way to move around for
those on tight budgets while allowing visitors to meet locals and learn all about the area they were traversing by
the people who lived there although this risky practice was strongly discouraged
by police and many employers advised the truck drivers against picking up hitchhikers in the 90s it was a common
way for travelers to get around a free book titled the budget travelers guidebook was available in hostels
throughout New South Wales providing information written by backpackers for backpackers it listed the Hume Highway
as an ideal and popular hitchhiking spot for those looking to travel south from Sydney to Melbourne noting the Liverpool
train station as a good starting point the guidebook advised hitchhiking is generally safe and illegal if you stand
in a sensible spot solo guys empty couples have a good chance of a lift make a destination sign and have your
backpack visible women should not hitchhike alone nineteen year old James Gibson was one of many young travelers
who favoured hitchhiking as a mode of transit described as friendly free-spirited impulsive and somewhat
nomadic James was most passionate about two things in life art under the environment
he took conservation issues seriously and was dedicated to saving the planet by attending wilderness walks
volunteering in the country fire service and participating in anti logging protests his dedication to the cause had
recently led him to hitchhike from his family home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to a protest in the New South
Wales town of nimbin upon his return home James was happy to be reunited with his
family of whom he was very close to yet the nomadic lifestyle called to him and he soon found himself eager to hit the
road again he decided to defer the sculpture course he had enrolled in at Frankston TAFE to have one more
adventure although he was happy traveling alone James invited his girlfriend Deborah Everest to join him
on the trip the two had met earlier that year at the beginning of 1989 where they
had hit it off immediately despite their many differences Deborah Everest was a bubbly into fallacious nineteen-year-old
noted for her dry mischievous sense of humor a budding writer and avid reader she was studying psychology at Melbourne
SMAW Nash University while working part-time for charity organization the quadriplegic Society Deborah intended to
eventually make the move into journalism she had been living away from home while
attending uni but as 1989 drew to an end she deferred her studies and returned to
her family home in suburban Frankston to help take care of her father after he was diagnosed with cancer
Deborah planned to return to university the following year but with her studies temporarily on hold she was free to join
James on his journey although she didn't share the same nomadic hippie traits as
her boyfriend and much preferred home comforts Deborah had never travelled before and thought it would do her good
to take a break and to broaden her horizons James and Deborah made a plan to travel
north to Sydney where they would catch up with some of James's friends before the group would head back south together
to Aubry a regional city on the new south wales Victorian border there they'd make their way to the small
Riverside town of Wawa to attend to confessed a bush camping festival that celebrates alternative lifestyles
offering workshops live music and vegetarian food on the morning of December 28 1989 James and Deborah's
parents respectively dropped their children off at the Frankston train station James told his mother the pair
intended the hitchhike from Melbourne to Sydney via the Hume Highway and she wasn't happy about the idea although her
son was a gregarious and experienced traveller she was aware of the dangers of hitchhiking and warned her son to be
careful James reassured his mother that hitchhiking was perfectly safe as long as you didn't travel alone so she had
nothing to worry about considering Deborah would be by his side unlike James Deborah didn't tell her
mother they planned on hitchhiking instead explaining they were catching a train to Melbourne and would then be
getting a lift to Sydney with some friends at around 9 a.m. James and Deborah farewelled their parents
purchased their tickets and to boarded the train to Melbourne James had packed his red with blue trim
burg house brand a backpack full of clothes as well as a small camping stove and a 35-millimeter rico brand SLR
camera his parents had given him earlier that year Deborah was equipped with a green nylon sports bag packed with
clothes and personal items a green and a beige sleeping bag that she had taken from her brother without asking and 260
dollars in cash the duo disembarked the train in Melbourne City and quickly succeeded in obtaining a riot northwards
to Sydney it was the summer holidays so there was plenty of traffic on the road and it was easy to get Ali
James and Deborah made the long journey north without any hiccups and arrived in
Sydney as planned upon their arrival at James's friend's house in the inner city
suburb of Surry Hills they discovered the group they were supposed to be meeting there had already left for
confessed without them their trip to Sydney was now pointless as James and Deborah had specifically traveled an
additional six hours north to join up with the confessed group a little frustrated but accepting the situation
James and Deborah decided to stay the night in Sydney before making the six-hour journey back south the
confessed in the morning James's friends flatmate invited them to sleep on the lounge room floor before they departed
for Aubry the next day that night December 29 Deborah phoned her mother to say we've arrived safely I knew you
would be in a panic until you heard from me we're fine don't worry I'll send you a postcard and
will ring you tomorrow James and Deborah set out for Aubrey the following morning of December 30 at
around 10:00 a.m. they intended to follow the well-worn backpackers paths which involved catching a train to
either Liverpool or Casula in Sydney southwest before heading towards the Hume Highway on foot and then attempting
to hitch a ride south from a passing motorist however the exact route they ultimately decided to take is unknown
[Music] that day Deborah's mother Patricia Everest waited eagerly for a phone call
from her daughter as promised but the evening came and went and there was no word from Deborah even though it was
unlike Deborah not to be in touch Patricia tried to reassure herself that the traveling couple were probably just
having such a great time that they forgot to call home as the days went by and still she hadn't
heard from her daughter Patricia became increasingly concerned she contacted James's mother peg Gibson who advised
she hadn't received any contact from her son peg wasn't too worried though she was used to James uh venturing off to
remote locations where there were limited means of communication so she assured Patricia their children were
probably just in an area with no telephone access but as the day's continued to pass by and still there was
no word from James or Deborah Peggy began to share Patricia's concern the two mothers kept in close contact see if
the other had heard anything but when no news came through they soon became frantic On January 15 1992 weight since
Deborah's last phone call home Patricia Everest and peg Gibson made their way to
the Frankston police station together where they reported their two children missing an officer entered James and
Deborah's names into the missing-persons register noting that although James was
known at times to live a somewhat nomadic lifestyle he was also a responsible young man and it was out of
character for either of them not to be in contact with their families police took the report seriously but it wasn't
seen as a priority as the officers deemed it likely the 19 year olds had simply gotten swept up on an adventure
and would call home soon Patricia and Peggy knew such behavior would be out of character for their children but tried
to find comfort in the possibility James's sister's wedding day was fast approaching and to the Gibson and
diversed families held on to hopes the pair would return home in time for the occasion
James and his sister were close and his family knew there was no way he would miss such a milestone event but the big
day On January 21 came and went with no contact from James or Deborah their families had no doubt now that something
was horribly wrong friends and relatives gathered together to help with the search
wearing t-shirts asking for information they stopped at all the towns truck stops service stations and rest stops up
and down the Hume Highway they distributed posters featuring James and Deborah's photographs with the bold
title missing at revising anyone with information about the duo's whereabouts to contact the police despite these
efforts days turned into months and still there were no sightings and no word from James or Deborah on March 13
1991 named Wendy was driving along gulstan Gorge road a narrow pitcher esque stretch of asphalt hood road that
runs between the towns of Hornsby in general in the Northwest outskirts of Sydney
Wendy noticed the red backpack with blue trim on the side of the road and stopped
to pick it up throwing it in the boot of her car when Wendy arrived to work she had a look through the backpack but
didn't find anything of interest it contained a black pen a tin of sardines and some pine needles which she noted as
odd considering there were no pine trees in gulstan gorge she also noticed the ID
tag had been cut out of the backpack meaning there was no way of identifying its owner so Wendy put the pack aside
and to win about her day the next day she had another look at the backpack and to notice there was a name address and
telephone number of written inconspicuously on the bottom of the pack alongside the phone number read the word
Gibson Wendy called the number and the peg keeps unanswered advising the backpack belonged to her son James who
had been missing along with his girlfriend Deborah for three and a half months with this information
Wendy immediately drove to Hornsby Police Station intended the backpack in after the discovery of the backpack
James and Deborah's disappearance started gaining more attention local newspaper the Hornsby advocate ran a
story about the missing couple advising that James's backpack had now been located
but his Rico brand camera into Deborah's belongings were nowhere to be seen the story sparked the attention of a
local cyclist who had been riding his bike on gulstan Gorge Road on December 31 1989 the day after James and Deborah
were last seen in Sydney the cyclist found what appeared to be a near new 35 millimeter rico brand camera on the side
of the road considering there was nothing on it to help identify its owner the cyclist took the camera home and
didn't give it much more thought now realizing the camera might belong to missing backpacker James Gibson he
immediately handed it in to Hornsby Police Station members of James's family flew to Sydney
and formally identified the backpack into camera as belonging to the missing 19 year old they were confused about the
location in which the items were found James and the Deborah had plans to head south to confess'd near Aubree so it
made no sense that their belongings had shown up on the Northwest outskirts of Sydney
gulstan Gorge Road was about 45 kilometres northwest of Surry Hills the last place the couple were seen police
appealed to witnesses who may have seen or picked up the couple to come forward but to no success in April an extensive
police search of the rugged Galston Gorge area was conducted with police divers searching the river while 140
officers and emergency service personnel conducted a foot search along the winding gulstan Gorge Road investigators
remained open to all possibilities including the hopeful that the pair had run away together after dumping their
belongings to the Sinister that they fell to their deaths while climbing the cliffs enacted a suicide pact or had
fallen victim to foul play given the fact to James and Deborah were both close with their families and had
no prior history of self-harm accidental death or Fairplay were deemed the more likely of the worst case scenarios
despite the extensive search efforts no other items belonging to the couple were
found for Patricia Everest the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to her daughter was the most painful
aspect quote this is one of the worst things that can happen to parents you can't grieve the worst thing is not
knowing you lie awake at night and imagine everything the months continued to pass by and to no new information
came to light James and Deborah's disappearance quickly faded from the news and had very little impact on other
young travelers as the backpacking industry continued to thrive 21 year old Simone Schmitt all known to France as
semi was bitten by the travel bug early when she was 11 years old she traveled with her family from their home country
of Germany to Canada which sparked her keen sense of adventure after finishing high school
Simone headed to Yugoslavia remarking to her friend if I could afford it I'd spend the rest of my life traveling
around the world it was a passion well suited to her fun outgoing and trusting personality which made her a confident
jet setter two years after her trip to Yugoslavia Simone visited Canada and Alaska for a
camping holiday where she met a number of fellow travelers including several Australians there was one person in
particular she hit it off with a young woman from Sydney named Christine Murphy and Simone decided Australia would be
her next destination she considered it to be a safe and friendly country much like Canada and
was eager to see the striking colors of the Great Barrier Reef and to the angelus desert horizon of the Aussie
outback Simone returned home to Regensburg a Bavarian city near Munich in Germany
working hard as a bookkeeper to save money for her upcoming Australian adventure one Simone had successfully
funded her trip she went shopping with her father to buy the items required for her Australian camping holiday she
purchased the blue salawa brand a backpack adorned with a lilac pattern a green and purple salawa brand a sleeping
bag a day pack and a cooking set the Verde brand Hogan model 10 she wanted wasn't in stock so the sales assistant
had to order one in from the manufacturer the tent arrived two weeks later and Simone returned to the store
to collect and sign for the item armed with everything she needed Simone made her way to the Regensburg train station
on September 29 1990 where she planned to catch a train to Frankfurt before boarding her flight to Sydney she was
fair world by her father who urged his daughter to be careful but Simone was more concerned about her father's
well-being than her own telling him take care and be careful that nothing happens
to you when I'm in Australia I won't be able to help if something happens during
her flight to Sydney Simone struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger and a backpacker named
Jeanette moola n2 the two became instant friends as neither had any solid plans upon their arrival to Australia they
decided to travel together their first stop was a visit to Christine Murphy whom Simone had met on her trip to
Alaska Simone and her new companion Jeanette arrived to Christine's house in the Western Sydney suburb of Guildford
which they used as a base while exploring the city after a week spent sightseeing Simone
and Jeanette caught a train to Liverpool and set out on foot down the Hume Highway hitching a ride to Melbourne
from there they bought a cheap car and drove north up to Queensland before driving back to Melbourne to meet up
with some friends in Melbourne the women sold their car and decided the hitchhike
back to Sydney they'd become very familiar with the Hume Highway during their travels and felt confident
accepting rides along this well trodden route in Sydney they stayed with Christine Murphy again before flying to
New Zealand on January 19 1991 Simone and Jeanette returned to Australia when they crashed their Christine Murphy
Sydney based house yet again it was there the Simone announced the next leg of her trip she planned to hitchhike on
her own back down to Melbourne to meet her mother who was flying over to join her on a campervan trip around the
country Simone's friends expressed War II over her plan to hitchhike alone Christine
fell Simone had already taken too many risks and should quit while she was ahead Jeanette had done her fair share
of hitchhiking with Simone yet even she agreed that her travel companion should adopt a more cautious approach from here
on out believing the reason their previous efforts were safe and successful was due to the fact they were
travelling as a pair Jeanette and Christine urged Simone to catch the bus to melbourne instead offering to buy her
a ticket even Christine's mother warned Simone of the dangers of hitchhiking alone but Simone shrugged it off showing
her a page from her travel guide that detailed Australia as a safe country to hitchhike Simone had already made up her
mind as Christine Murphy described quote Simone had a relaxed attitude towards hitchhiking and told her friends not to
worry she'd always found people to be friendly and helpful her argument when we tried to talk her out of it
don't worry about it I'm quite safe at 8:30 a.m. on January 20 1991 Simone SH middle-left Christine Murphy's
ass to begin her solo journey to Melbourne Jeanette walked her partway to the Guildford train station where the
two said they would buyers at a nearby news agency the trains weren't running that morning so Simone caught a bus from
Guildford to Liverpool where she began the walk to the Hume Highway at 9:00 a.m.
Simone's plan was to hold up a sign displaying her final destination of Melbourne in the hopes of catching a
lift from a friendly truck driver she set off down the Hume Highway wearing a bright yellow singlet green shorts and
hiking boots carrying her backpack tent sleeping bag into $20 cash three days later on Wednesday January 23
Simone's mother Ivania arrived at Melbourne Airport eager to see her daughter after four months apart
however Simone wasn't waiting for her mother in the arrivals lounge as expected Lavinia assumed she wouldn't be too far
away and continued to weigh wondering whether Simone had been confused about their plans perhaps she thought that was
supposed to meet at the house of a friend where they would be staying her Vania called a taxi to their friend's
house presuming Simone was already there but when she arrived Simone was nowhere
to be seen and nobody had heard from her the worried mother sat by the phone waiting for Simone to ring but no calls
came through her Vania called Christine Murphy's house the last place her daughter stayed
Simone's friends Christine and Jeanette had already begun to worry even before receiving no vania's phone call Simone
had promised to make contact upon her safe arrival to Melbourne but days had passed since she departed and they still
hadn't heard a word from her Christine said by Monday night when we hadn't heard from simi we began to worry by
Tuesday night logic began to hit on the fifth day of Simone's disappearance her Vania made her way to the Russell Street
police station in Melbourne to report her daughter missing the officers on duty weren't overly concerned Simone was
inexperienced young backpacker and there was every chance she had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to change
her travel plans the Dovan Ian used such a ding would be completely out of character for her daughter
when Simone's father Herbert was notified of his daughter's disappearance he sought assistance from his local
police station in Germany the German officers told him there was nothing they could do as it was an issue for
Australian police Herbert explained he couldn't speak English and wanted their assistance
gaining some more information but the German police advised him to find an english-speaking friend or relative who
could help instead Herbert contacted the German Embassy in Canberra and higher authorities in
German law enforcement but they advised him to contact foreign affairs time and time again his attempts to seek help
headed nowhere made all the more difficult by the language barrier impacting his ability to communicate
with Australian authorities Affinia stayed in Australia holding our hopes that her daughter would show up
overwhelmed with fear and anxiety her vania began suffering regular bouts of nausea after six weeks of searching with
no sign of Simone she eventually returned to Germany alone during a public appeal for anyone with
information to come forward Simone's travel companion and Jeanette moolah said people in Germany want to
come to Australia because it's so far away the Great Southern land but Australia is also well known for its
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like the thousands of backpackers who were drawn to Australia there each year 21 year old Gabor Naga Bella was eager
to see as much of the world as possible born in Stuttgart Germany his father's job in the Air Force meant Gabor had
moved around a lot throughout his childhood so he felt confident venturing to new places even though he was quiet
shy and too liked to keep to himself passionate about nature and with the environment Gabor had a particular
interest in geology and to Volcanology after serving 15 months compulsory service in the German military he
applied to pursue these interests at university but when he failed to gain entry to his preferred course he
enrolled in a philosophy degree instead he promised his parents who would transfer to something they considered
more serious once he had scratched his travel itch it was around this time that Gabor met Anna have she'd a shy
kind-hearted 20 year old who shared his love for the environment Anna had recently completed a drafting course and
was eager to embrace the world beyond Germany before she recommenced her studies beyond to their shared passions
for nature and travel and yearned a Gabor had a lot in common neither smoked or drank and both
embraced the neezy going attitude towards life the two set off on their first adventure together around Europe
at the start of 1991 and over six feet tall Gabor towered over petty Tonia and he's fit strong physique in short she
felt safe traveling in his company the couple enjoyed to their European travel experience so much that upon their
return they began planning their next trip right away Gerber's uni course was scheduled to
resume in early 1992 and before returning to the books he and Dania decided to set off on a two-month
journey backpacking around Asia where they were mostly looking forward to visiting the temples than the volcanoes
of Indonesia they set off for Indonesia in late to 91 but while they were there the weather took an unexpected turn for
the worse and - the couple made a spur-of-the-moment decision to head to Australia instead Gabor and Dania landed
in Darwin in December 91 before venturing to the tropical city of Cairns in Far North Queensland with Christmas
fast approaching they met some other travelers along the way who told them bondi beach in sydney was the place to
be during the festive season as there was a large backpackers Christmas party put on there every year intrigued by
this tip the couple added Sydney to their itinerary with Anya writing a letter to her family in Germany saying
she was really looking forward to this leg of their journey upon their arrival in Sydney Gabor and Dania checked into a
hostel in Kings Cross an inner-city district which at the time was a hotbed for drugs crime and seedy nightlife but
was popular with backpackers due to the cheap accommodation available not liking
the vibes of the city and unable to sleep during the hot sticky summer night Gabor called his family in Germany from
a payphone in the hostel corridor at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning although the international connection
was poor Kapoor's mother could tell her son wasn't in good spirits he and Dani are much preferred Asia over
Australia and were looking forward to leaving before the phone line disconnected Gabor told his mother he
wanted to leave Australia as soon as possible the next day December 26 1991 Gabor and Dania settled their bill and
checked out of the Kings Cross hostel telling staff they were heading north to Darwin
they had booked a flight to Indonesia departing New Year's Day and were eager to resume that portion of their trip
before flying from Indonesia to Germany on January 14 however January 14 came and went and - nobody back home heard a
word from an Jakob or nor had they returned to Germany as planned their families clung to the possibility that
they may have simply missed their flight or had decided to extend a vest a and weren't able to reach a phone to let
anyone know but fears for their well-being were quickly exacerbated when it was revealed that Gabor and Dania
hadn't touched over three thousand dollars worth of traveler's checks since checking out of their Kings Cross hostel
knowing they would be returning to Darwin after Sydney Gabor and Dania had let their friends and family know to
direct an email for them to the Darwin post office it was common practice for backpackers who had no fixed address to
nominate a post office where they could collect mail while passing through de Bourgh's mother had sent a couple of
Christmas package containing cookies and other treats but the package remained at
the Darwin post office uncollected indicating the couple may have never made it there On January 30 1992 a
little over a month since Anna and the Cabal were last seen checking out of the hostel in Sydney their disappearance was
reported to German police the report was forwarded on to the Australian Federal Police who
immediately began looking into the case yet they uncovered very little information to suggest that what had
happened to the couple Gabor and Danny's family is hired a private investigator but they too failed to find any trace of
the two young backpackers after months of searching and no leads it was as though they had simply vanished into
thin air frustrated with the fruitless investigation gabor spare ins honker and demand friend Anita Bella along with a
Mia's brother Norbert decided to head to Australia to initiate their own search they were convinced the couple may have
been involved in an accident and we're eager to increase the media attention to see if anyone came forward with
information Alka Manfred and - Norbert arrived in Sydney in April 1992 meeting with the
New South Wales Police Force and inducting several press conferences for Norbert his sister's disappearance was
completely out of character as he knew she was looking forward to returning to Germany to resume her studies he told
the media we decided the only way to know what was happening was to come here to look for ourselves for us there are
only a few possibilities if someone is murdered the first thing you do is steal their money but no checks have been
cashed they could have had an accident fallen over a cliff but nobody has seen it
we know they would contact us if they could the media attention was helpful in generating public awareness with the
police receiving over 200 tip offs from witnesses who believed they had cited the couple every lead was followed but
each went nowhere with the sightings believed to be a case of mistaken identity Alka Manfred and Norbert decided to
follow the trail Anja and took a bore had taken but were faced with the problem that no one knew 100% which way
the couple had traveled after leaving Sydney although their flight from Darwin to Indonesia had been scheduled to leave
just six days later Gabor had told his parents they were heading south down the Hume Highway making their way to
Victoria specifically Mildura a historical country town on the banks of the Murray River from there the couple
would visit Adelaide in the neighboring state of South Australia before heading north through the outback on the Stuart
Highway to their final destination of Darwin but this contradicted reports from the Kings Cross hostel staff in
Sydney who were adamant Gabor and Dania said they were taking the North route via Queensland towards Darwin as they
had asked for hostel recommendations in that direction ANCA Manfred under Norbert spent the
next five weeks traveling through Australia in a camper van they decided to follow the advice from the Kings
Cross hostel staff and head north from Sydney going to Brisbane Townsville Murtaza Darwin Alice Springs Port
Augusta and Broken Hill they visited every hostel cafe and a local store they could asking if anyone had seen the
missing backpackers after covering over 10,000 kilometres without finding a single trace of Annie
or Gabor the desperate trio visited a clairvoyant on their final day in Australia who told them your children
are no longer alive your son died very quickly but his friend Daniel suffered terribly before she died Gabor Nagar
Bella and Dania have shades disappearance came almost two years to the day after James Gibson and Deborah
Everest were last seen in Surry Hills and two just 11 months since Simone SH Mittal was last seen walking down the
Hume Highway near Liverpool although all three cases involved young travelers disappearing in Sydney there was no
evidence to link them in any way and nothing that made them stand out for police amongst all of the other active
missing person cases in Australia in the early 90s 24,000 people were reported missing each year a majority of those
reported missing a the reappeared who were found within the first two weeks but 300 missing people remained
unaccounted for each year James Gibson Deborah Everest Simone Schmidt or Gabor no you Bella and Dania had she'd joined
the thousands of names of persons who were disappeared without a trace during a missing-persons where you could peel
for information the spokesperson for the New South Wales police missing persons unit stated we just cannot ever give up
hope we are constantly reviewing and re reviewing our files twenty-two-year-old Joanne Walters had
always dreamed of visiting Australia and New Zealand destinations she considered
far more exotic than her hometown of my stick near Cardiff in Wales Joanne had a
humble life growing up with a mother who worked as a shop assistant and father who worked in a paper mill Factory she
was a model student at school and her warm nature ensured others were drawn towards her having recently travelled
through Europe Joanne was looking forward to her next adventure as she flipped through a
newspaper she noticed an advertisement offering to return flights to Australia for the price of one excited by the
offer she contacted her Scottish friend Pauline read whom she had met the previous year while travelling through
grace the two decided to venture to the land down under for an extended working holiday with Joey and promising to call
and ride home regularly Joanne and Pauline arrived in Sydney in early June 1991 spending the next few weeks
traveling north to Queensland before deciding to part ways and made up again further down the track Joanne returned
to Sydney where she rented a flat in Kings Cross with another backpacker and applied for a job as a nanny she was one
of 100 applicants for the nanny position but for the Jensen family Joanne was the
ideal candidate sensible independent in the up going they happily hired her for the job Joanne loved being a nanny for
the Jensens spending her spare time visiting the source of Sydney and mingling with other travelers and locals
at various bars and cafes throughout the Kings Cross area it was during this time
that Joey and crossed paths with another young female backpacker entered the to immediately hit it off 21 year old
Caroline Clark was a well-educated determined young woman who enjoyed an upper-middle class upbringing in the
county of Surrey in England where she loved playing netball and hockey and socializing with her wives
of friends always up for a laugh Carolyn had a knack for impersonating teachers family members and celebrities to the
amusement of others Carolyn was driven to make a difference in the world applying for a job as a police officer
at age 20 the recruitment offices at the Surrey Police Department thought her qualities made her a great candidate but
felt she was a little too young they advised her to go out and gain more life experiences then come back to see them
again in a couple of years caroline recognized this as a great opportunity to travel the world and started saving
no money for an extended backpacking trip her older brother had recently travelled to Australia and had spoken so
highly of his experience there the Caroline decided to add the destination to her bucket list Caroline got a job as
an assistant manager for a pizza restaurant where she was well-liked by customers and staff after saving enough
money she spent a month travelling through Europe before making her way to Australia where she planned to work and
travel before passing through Indonesia and Thailand on her way home 18 months later Joanne Walters had already been in
Australia for four months when she met Caroline Clarke the two became instant friends and decided to embark on their
further travels together although Joanne enjoyed a nannying for the Jensen family word from other
backpackers was that fruit-picking presented a great opportunity to see more of the country while earning a wage
along the way Johanne ran the idea past Caroline who agreed fruit-picking sounded like a
great idea and to the two decided to make their way to mill juror in regional Victoria known
for its great production the Jensen family was sad to see Joanne leave but we're understanding and supportive of
her decision in early February 1992 Joanne and Caroline set out for Mildura with two other backpackers they had met
catching a train to Liverpool before walking towards the Hume Highway the foursome decided they'd have more
success hitching a ride if they split into pairs and the plan paid off all four women made it to mill juror safely
where they each got to work picking grapes in a local vineyard it was in Mildura that Joanne and Caroline struck
up a friendship with an Englishman named Steve Wright and to the trio decided to
head the Tasmania together as they'd heard it was a good spot to get work picking apples
when their job in Mildura was complete they made a brief return to Sydney before once again hitching a ride down
the Hume Highway to Melbourne where they caught the ferry to Tasmania the nights
in Tasmania were much colder than the women expected so Joanne purchased the blue and orange ultimate branch sleeping
bag that was much warmer than the one she had originally brought with her in Tasmania Steve Wright decided to leave
the women and to go his separate way but as he didn't plan on doing any more camping he offered to swap his blues
three person tent for Joanne and Caroline's two-person tent they were grateful for the exchange as the tent
they had been sleeping in was too small for the both of them they even over looked at the fact that Steve's tent had
a hole in it as he had patched it up with an adhesive label after their apple-picking job came to an end
Joanne and Caroline departed Tasmania and returned to their Sydney based hostel in Kings Cross from there
they planned to venture to Western Australia as they'd heard there was upcoming work available during the melon
picking season they made a rough plan to slowly make their way there by driving along the scenic a great ocean road in
Victoria to Adelaide then proceeded north to all the Roo in the northern territories desert before finally
reaching the Western Australian town of Kona Nara on April 16 1992 both Joanne and
Caroline called their families back home to let them know their plans they were both happy ending' good spirits looking
forward to the next portion of their adventure which was set to begin the following morning
the next day they received a visit at the hostel from Pauline Reade the friend who Joanne had originally
travelled to Australia with they filled Pauline in on their travel itinerary advising her they intended to get around
by hitchhiking most of the way they had hitched many rides already and had nothing but positive experiences so far
seeing it as a great way to meet friendly locals despite their plans Joanne and Caroline
were quite unorganized and the day quickly got away from them as the afternoon descended into Twilight they
decided to put their trip off until the next day as the idea of hitchhiking at night held a very little appeal at 7:30
a.m. on April 18 1992 Joanne and Caroline spoke with Steve Wright the backpacker with whom they had previously
traveled to Tasmania with they advised him they were taking the same route down the Hume Highway they had taken
previously when hitching to Mildura and Melbourne they planned to catch a train from Kings Cross the Casula the
station after Liverpool then make the short walk to the Hume Highway from where they'd hitched their first lift it
was a beautiful day and the Sun was shining as Steve fair world his friends and wish them luck
two weeks later Joanne's parents in Wales felt uneasy when they hadn't heard a word from that daughter Joanne was a
dutiful child who calls and wrote letters home on a regular basis keeping her parents in the loop of her next
contact able address it was very unlike her to be out of touch but they gave their daughter the benefit of the doubt
hoping she was just having too much fun or was currently travelling through a remote area with no telephone access
in England Caroline's parents were becoming equally concerned as they too hadn't heard from their daughter they
assured themselves she was probably in the outback with no access to a phone or post office and would surely be in touch
soon the alarm bells really started to ring when Caroline sisters birthday came and
went on May 8th with no word from Caroline a few weeks later on May 24 when Caroline failed to contact her
father to wish him a happy birthday her family started to get incredibly anxious a few days later Caroline
Clark's family received the phone call from Joanne's dad great Walters advising them of his concerns regarding his
daughter's silence ray had recently been digging around and found that Joanne hadn't accessed her bank account since
April 15 which was the day before she had lost called home he had also been in touch with Joanne's former employers in
Australia the Jensen family who shared his concerns they had expected to hear from Joanne over Easter but the holiday
had gone by without them hearing a word realising almost 6 weeks had passed since either family had heard from their
daughters they reported Joanne and Caroline's disappearance to local police who then contacted the Australian
Federal Police the Jensen family also made their own report to New South Wales police in Sydney Rae Walters stayed up
late at night making international phone calls to fruit picking farms backpacker
hostels and rural police stations in areas Joanne and Caroline had already visited or intended to visit but no one
had seen or heard from them Caroline's father Ian Clark was well-connected due to his high-level job at the Bank of
England he contacted an associate Phillip Corbett who was a former commander for Scotland Yard and was more
than willing to assist the Clarks with the search for their daughter Courbet made contact with Caroline and
Joanne's former traveling companions to get a better insight into their movements he also put pressure on New
South Wales police to treat the disappearance as a priority Corbett's intervention attracted media
coverage in the United Kingdom prompting Australian authorities to treat the missing person report with precedence
with New South Wales police now making inquiries the disappearance of Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke was
headlining the Australian media as a nationwide search commenced a police spokesperson explained both women were
in the habit of telephoning their parents about once every two weeks but neither family has heard from that
daughter since mid-april deaf failure to contact home is completely out of character and it is for this reason we
hold fears for their safety within the first day of launching the appeal over 100 witnesses came forward to report
possible sightings of the pair one witness reported seeing two women who matched Joanne and Caroline's
description getting into a combi van with a male driver which received strong media focus and generated hundreds of
further tips the police weren't convinced that had been inaccurate citing further complicating efforts was
the discovery that two young women with British accents were travelling a similar route to the one Joanne and
Caroline plan to follow meaning witness sightings could be confusing this separate set of travellers for the
missing pair over the following two months calls continued to come through and police followed up every lead but
none of the sightings were proven to be Joanne or Caroline in August to 1992 Joanne's parents ray and Jill Walters
travelled to Australia to assist the search for their missing daughter they participated in press conferences
making an urgent appeal to the public for anyone with information to come forward
ray Walters told the gathering media Joann didn't do anything on the spur of the moment if she turned right or she
turned to left shouldn't let us know on the day Joann and Caroline were last seen in Sydney only four months had
passed since Gabor knew you Bella and Dania have sheet had disappeared from the same area into their case was
still gaining media attention as their devastated families traveled the country searching for clues given that both
pairs of international backpackers had vanished from the Kings Cross district the press were quick to link the two
disappearances New South Wales Police refused to confirm whether there was a connection simply advising they were
considering all possibilities Joanne and Caroline's case continued to gain an increasing amount of media attention
leading the press to look into other recent incidents where international tourists are gone missing under similar
circumstances the mysterious disappearance of German backpacker Simone Schmidt or two years earlier was
mentioned from torrent attire the very little was said about James Gibson and Deborah Everest given they were
Australian citizens traveling within their home country countless articles debating the safety risks involved with
backpacking and hitchhiking were published with the hostile industry coming under scrutiny hostel owners
maintained Australia was a safe country and there was nothing for travelers to worry about but the negative press was
threatening to tarnish the thriving backpacker tourism industry despite this youngtravellers were not
deterred from hitchhiking many provided interviews to the media stating they had
never encountered any issues while hitchhiking across the country and had no intention of stopping defending it as
an affordable mode of transport police called for the establishment of a central registry to record the names and
contact addresses for all foreigners traveling in Australia to help keep track of their movements although that
may have been a useful tool it was too late for the families of the seven backpackers who mysteriously vanished in
Sydney between 1989 and to 1992 on September 19 1992 eight members of the scrub runners orienteering Club ventured
down the Hume Highway passing the kilometres of pine plantations before reaching the natural bush portion of
bowling Guillou State Forest from the Rangers hearts the teams separated into pairs and ventured into the thick scrub
as part of a training exercise two members Keith Seeley and Keith Caldwell partnered up and began navigating the
steep rocky terrain west of the Long Acre fire trail heading towards an area known as executioners drop at 4:15 p.m.
the two men trekked into a shallow gully and made their way towards a large boulder as they walked closer they were
hit with an overwhelming stench which they assumed was emanating from a dead animal
they edged closer to the border where they noticed the pile of sticks and branches on its western side forming a
mound approximately 2 meters long and a 60 centimeters high out of the debris they noticed the tuft of dark fur they
figured it must have been a dead one bat or a kangaroo but upon closer inspection
they noticed the thin bone sticking out of the mound along with the heel of a shoe and a patch of clothing kaseylee
quote what I thought was the kangaroo leg was an elbow the wombat was the hair on the back of the head the men hastily
made the two kilometer trek back to the closest ranges her where they contacted police and escorted them to the human
remains a crime scene was established as Twilight descended with floodlights illuminating the deserted area as police
uncovered the heavily decomposed body of a young woman facedown and gagged with strips torn from a shirt a search of the
rugged terrain was put temporarily on holder due to the pitch darkness with police commencing a thorough search of
the site at daybreak in that next morning just thirty meters from the skeletal remains discovered by the large
boulder in the shallow gully police noticed a similar mound of sticks in the branches part alongside a fallen log
hidden underneath was a second body when news of the gruesome discoveries in palanga life State Forest hit the media
speculation ran rife as to whether more bodies would be uncovered at the site in
response a police spokesperson said there is nothing to suggest that it's a mass grave but we're keeping an open
mind about what might be out there to be continued next week [Music] [Music] you

Case 109: Belanglo (Part 1)

[Part 1 of 5]

The Hume Freeway is one of the busiest interstate routes in Australia, linking the countries two most populous cities, Sydney and Melbourne...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Anonymous Host Writing – Elsha McGill Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-109-belanglo-part-1

Brief Summary

The episode covers the mysterious disappearances of young backpackers in Australia, highlighting risks and family impacts.

Key points

Robin Hood Investing App. Robin Hood allows commission-free trading, making investing accessible to everyone.
The Hume Freeway's Transformation. The Hume Freeway now links Sydney and Melbourne without traffic lights, enhancing travel efficiency.
The Backpacking Lifestyle in the 90s. Backpackers flocked to Australia for adventure, contributing significantly to the economy.
James and Deborah's Disappearance. James and Deborah went missing after hitchhiking, leading to a frantic search by their families.
Simone's Travel Adventures. Simone's journey begins with a passion for travel, leading her to Australia.
A Mother's Worry. Simone's mother arrives in Melbourne but finds her daughter missing, sparking concern.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

You can't grieve; the worst thing is not knowing.

Patricia Everest on her daughter's disappearance

23:06WatchMar 23, 2019

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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